Will you buy games based on who the designer is? Or refuse to buy games on that basis? Or do you never even consider the name on the product?

No "instabuy" for me. But certain names with a proven track record are worthy of immediate curiosity. You, Raggi, Zak, Goodman, Curtis, etc.

On occasion, I'll look at a game in the first place because of the author. When deciding on whether I want to run/purchase a game, I take into consideration the content.

If I was on the fence, dislike of an author or company might end up factoring in, but the only time I'm likely to even have a negative opinion is if I've had direct personal experience of poor customer service.

Very little. I can't think of a single case I refused to buy a game becasue of the author. And just because I like ICONS doesn't mean I am going to rush out and by Mutants and Masterminds; they are clearly very different games made for different design goals.

Might make more difference if I did Kickstarters as some authors have a reputation of always deliver on time while others, less so. But I don't like the Kickstarter model so the issue is moot.

I do to a small extent. First, if that designer has created a game or setting I appreciate in the past, I'm certainly paying attention. I don't care about the designer's politics or "reputation" I only care about how that designer's games entertained me or entertained people in the hobby.

Also, as a frequent backer of various Kickstarters, reputation and past performance will seriously weigh my decision. If you're new or unheard of, but demonstrate some intelligent planning (writing is complete, playtest material is available, you have good tiers, you have some teasers for potential stretch goals that aren't going to ruin your delivery...) I can be persuaded to take a chance. Of course, I've been burned a couple times backing "industry veterans" so it's only a subjective measure at best. Although there seems to be a common thread among the failed Kickstarters of "industry veterans", so I feel like I can spot them better now.

I dont consider the name at all

There are designers whose stuff I generally like, and a couple whose stuff I generally don't like. But it's not the major factor in whether I buy a game.

Yes. If I know the designers pulled some dirty stunt or worse, and theres a few in the "or worse" category, then fuck no Im not putting money in their pocket.

Same with board games. If I'd known Robert J. Simpson stole Supremacy from the real designer Id have never bought it.

There are certain companies and certain designers which attract my attention. They get a longer look from me than some random product from a random writer.

Outside of a few extreme cases (whatever his name is the Scandinavian racial purist guy or equivalent level of awfulness), there's few people I wouldn't buy the work of. As for a name drawing me in, well it's very similar to the name on a sci-fi or fantasy novel. I'll walk by, look at the dust jacket blurb, be ambivalent, and then notice and say, "oh, Bradbury. I've had good luck with him," and be that much more likely to actually buy the book. OTOH Bradbury wrote some real dull books too, so sometimes that bites me in the tail. Same with RPG books.

Nope. I base my purchases on the product I'm looking at and not really the name. Same goes for most forms of entertainment.

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Will you buy games based on who the designer is? Or refuse to buy games on that basis? Or do you never even consider the name on the product?

With the amount of games available online, I sometimes use the author(s) or a company as a shorthand for quality. I'm more much likely to look into something written by Kevin Crawford or put out by New Big Dragon Games than someone whose product wasn't to my taste in the past .

Quote from: RPGPundit;965461Will you buy games based on who the designer is? Or refuse to buy games on that basis? Or do you never even consider the name on the product?

Not in the slightest. I barely even notice the credits. The number of game designers I could name I could count on both hands and half of them are probably dead or no longer in the field. Then again, the last new game I bought was about 4 or 5 years ago, unless you count Dark Albion as a game rather than a reference book or sourcebook.

Past performance will at least get me to pay attention to products.  Beyond that, I try to not let it influence me.  Rarely, a designer will play the "virtue signaling" card so strong, that they get my attention despite my best efforts to ignore such things.  Now that they have my attention, if their signal is offensive to me, then that's probably it for any future purchases.  I have a Kantian attitude towards such things--I play by the rules that are implicit in the actions of the other person.

Zero.  I don't care who's writing it, as long as it's fun and legible.